Professor Edward Conrad Wragg (26 June 1938 – 10 November 2005) known as Ted Wragg, was a British
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
alist and academic known for his advocacy of the cause of education and opposition to political interference in the field. He was Professor of Education at the
University of Exeter
, mottoeng = "We Follow the Light"
, established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter)
, type = Public
, ...
from 1978 to 2003, serving as
Emeritus Professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
of Education from 2003 till his death, and a regular columnist in the ''
Times Educational Supplement
''Tes'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a weekly UK publication aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 19 ...
''
and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
In the UK, the Ted Wragg Teaching Award for Lifetime Achievement honours his memory, and is given out annually to educators who are considered to have shown excellent devotion to teaching throughout their careers.
Early career
Wragg was born in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
and attended Hunters Bar Primary School and then
King Edward VII Schoolphoto), followed by
Hatfield College,
Durham University where he obtained a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, awarded with first class honours. He taught at
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) is an independent, public school for boys in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The school was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield (headed ...
from 1960 to 1964 when he moved to be Head of German at
Wyggeston Boys' School in
Leicester. In 1966 he went to the
University of Leicester
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_lab ...
where he obtained a
Master of Education
The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...
degree.
Academic career
His long association with the
University of Exeter
, mottoeng = "We Follow the Light"
, established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter)
, type = Public
, ...
began in the late 1960s when he went there to lecture on Education, principally the methodology of teaching Modern Languages, and to study for a
PhD, which he was awarded in 1972.
As Professor of Education at the
University of Nottingham
, mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom
, established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status
, type = Public
, chancellor ...
from 1973 to 1978, he created the university's
Post Graduate Certificate of Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE/PGCertEd) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides training in order to allow graduates to become teachers within maintained schools. In ...
course (he also acted as Specialist Adviser to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
Select Committee on the attainments of school-leavers in 1976–77).
In 1978 he returned to Exeter as a Professor where he headed the amalgamation of the Exeter Education department with St Luke's College. While at Exeter he directed numerous research projects on such topics as classroom processes, teaching strategies, curriculum evaluation, appraising competence and incompetence, and
performance-related pay Performance-related pay or pay for performance, not to be confused with performance-related pay rise, is a salary or wages paid system based on positioning the individual, or team, on their pay band according to how well they perform. Car salesmen o ...
.
He also studied education in numerous countries around the world. Throughout his academic career he would always make time to teach a class of children for one or two days a week so that he would remain in touch with the profession at the 'chalkface'.
Professional recognition
Wragg was president of the
British Educational Research Association
The British Educational Research Association (BERA) is a member-led charity to encourage educational research and its application for the improvement of practice and public benefit.
It is an association promoting a researching culture within the ...
in 1981–82, Chairman of the Educational Broadcasting Council of the UK from 1981 to 1986.
In 1997 he was invited to deliver the
Hockerill Lecture
The Hockerill Educational Foundation was founded on the closure of Hockerill College, a Church of England (Diocese of Rochester) and Non-conformist churches, teacher training college, in 1978."Distinctive or Divisive? The Role of Church Schools ...
.
He was a member of the board of the
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) was a charity, and an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for Education. In England and Northern Ireland, the QCDA maintained and developed the National Cu ...
from 1997 to 2003. He wrote more than 50 books on a wide range of educational topics, as well as producing a 120-book reading scheme, two CD-ROMs, a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
on teachers' questions, and many videos and audiotapes. Shortly before his death he was elected as an
Academician of the Social Sciences The Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policy-makers, and practitioners of the social sciences.
Fellows were previously known as Academicians and used th ...
.
Commentary
He was a frequent broadcaster on radio and television and wrote regularly in newspapers including the ''
Times Educational Supplement
''Tes'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a weekly UK publication aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 19 ...
''
and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. Wragg was an advocate of warmth, humour and humanity in the classroom and defended these ideals with passion against a narrowly
utilitarian
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals.
Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...
approach to learning; he was vociferous in opposing attempts to roll back the education changes of the 1960s. He had a ready and sharp wit, which worked well with his savage indignation at politically inspired educational reforms. Although initially his beliefs were reflected by the government of
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
, he later fell out with it and attacked it, nicknaming
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010. Previously, she served as the Secretary of State for Transport, ...
"Ruth
Dalek
The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrials in fiction, extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by write ...
" and "The Duchess of Drivel"; he also coined the nickname 'Tony Zoffis' (
Tony's office) for
Andrew Adonis
Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, (born Andreas Adonis; 22 February 1963) is a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician and journalist who served in HM Government for five years in the Third Blair ministry, Blair ministry and the Brown mi ...
, then a member of the
Downing Street
Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk f ...
policy unit but subsequently ennobled and appointed as
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister ...
for Education.
Bibliography
Wragg was a prolific writer. The following list of some of his books is freely adapted from the material posted on his University of Exeter curriculum vitae.
* E C Wragg (1974) ''Teaching Teaching'' David and Charles
* E C Wragg, J Oates and P Gump (1976) ''Classroom Interaction'' Open University Press
* E C Wragg (1981) ''Class Management and Control'' Macmillan
* E C Wragg (1982) ''Swineshead Revisited'' Trentham
* E C Wragg (1982) ''A Review of Research in Teacher Education'' NFER-Nelson
* E C Wragg (ed) (1984) ''Classroom Teaching Skills'' Croom Helm
* E C Wragg (1984 ''Pearls from Swineshire'' Trentham
* E C Wragg (1986) ''Education: An Action Guide for Parents'' BBC
* E C Wragg (1987) ''Teacher Appraisal'' Macmillan
* E C Wragg (1988) ''The Wragged Edge'' Trentham
* E C Wragg and J A Partington (1989) ''Schools and Parents'' Cassell
* E C Wragg (1990) ''Riches from Wragg'' Trentham
* E C Wragg (1991) ''Mad Curriculum Disease'' Trentham
* E C Wragg and M Williams (1993) ''The Parents' File'' Southgate
* E C Wragg (1993)'' No, Minister!'' Trentham
* E C Wragg (1993) ''Class Management'' Routledge
* E C Wragg and G Brown (1993)'' Explaining'' Routledge
* G Brown and E C Wragg (1993) ''Questioning'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (ed) (1993) ''Education: a Different Vision'' IPPR
* E C Wragg (1993) ''Primary Teaching Skills'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (1994) ''An Introduction to Classroom Observation'' Routledge
* R Dunne and E C Wragg (1994) ''Effective Teaching'' Routledge
* E C Wragg, F J Wikeley, C M Wragg, G S Haynes (1996) ''Teacher Appraisal Observed'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (1994) ''Flying Boot'' Nelson
* E C Wragg (1995) ''The Ted Wragg Guide to Education'' Butterworth Heinemann
* E C Wragg (1996) ''The Last Quango'' Trentham
* E C Wragg (1997) ''The Cubic Curriculum'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (1997) ''Assessment and Learning'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (1998) ''The Prince of Darkness'' Trentham
* E C Wragg, C M Wragg, G S Haynes and R P Chamberlin (1998) ''Improving Literacy in the Primary School'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (1999) ''An Introduction to Classroom Observation'' (2nd edition) Routledge
* E C Wragg, G S Haynes, C M Wragg and R P Chamberlin (2000)''Failing Teachers?'' Routledge
* E C Wragg (2001) ''Class Management in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg (2001) ''Class Management in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg (2001) ''Assessment and Learning in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg (2001) ''Assessment and Learning in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Explaining in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Explaining in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Questioning in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg, G Brown (2001) ''Questioning in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg, G S Haynes, Wragg, C M and Chamberlin, R P (2004) ''Performance Pay for Teachers'', Routledge Falmer.
* E C Wragg (Ed) (2004) ''Teaching and Learning'', RoutledgeFalmer.
* E C Wragg (Ed) (2005) ''Letters to the Prime Minister'', Central Books.
* E C Wragg (2005) (in press) ''The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning'', Routledge.
* Editor of the international research journal ''Research Papers in Education'' (Taylor and Francis) since 1986.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wragg, Ted
1938 births
2005 deaths
English educational theorists
People educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield
Alumni of the University of Exeter
Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham
Alumni of the University of Leicester
Academics of the University of Exeter
Academics of the University of Nottingham
Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences